Elizabeth R. Sheyn, “Putting an End to an Unintentional Result: Why the Requirement that Female Immigrants Receive the Gardasil Vaccine Prior to Becoming Permanent Residents Should Be Suspended”

This Article concerns the recent (August 2008) CDC-sponsored requirement that female immigrants to the United States receive the Gardasil vaccine prior to changing their residency status and, eventually, becoming naturalized citizens. The Article provides a background of the Gardasil vaccine including its usage and development, highlights the vaccine’s potential side-effects and other problems, and discusses potential social, economic, and constitutional issues raised by the Gardasil vaccine requirement in the immigration context. Finally, the Article argues that the requirement that female immigrants receive the Gardasil vaccine should be suspended.